This Remote Restaurant In Maine Will Take You A Million Miles Away From Everything
When it comes to great food in Maine, people often think of Portland. The more curious will know that Rockland also has a great culinary scene. But, the reality is that all of Maine is full of wonderful food options. And why shouldn’t it be? Mainers are industrious and hard working. We see a problem and find a solution. We have a dream and we reach for it. It takes a certain type of ambitious person to live in Maine – just look at our winters. When it comes to food, we want both Mainers and tourists to know that delicious meals exist outside of our larger towns.
One of the best is The Lost Kitchen in the small town (the population is around 700!) of Freedom.
The story of The Lost Kitchen is a triumphant one. The owner, Erin French, is a Freedom native who eventually made her way to California and into medical school. After the arrival of her son, she came back to Maine. After some work in catering and baking, she started her own underground supper club out of her home in Belfast. The dinners were wildly popular, almost always selling out to an enthusiastic and thankful crowd. Not long down the road, she turned the operation into a restaurant in the same building that played host to the supper club dinners.
But, life has a funny way of muddling up even the best plans. A prickly divorce led to the loss of her home and restaurant. Ultimately, with the help and support of friends and family she purchased an Airstream to begin again.
As her passion and success grew, she took the next step. The purchase of the local grist mill meant the opening of the newest iteration of The Lost Kitchen.
Erin French is completely self-taught. Using recipes passed down from her family, she's improved upon them to make them uniquely her own. The kitchen is manned with those she considers friends, who share her love of locally sourced ingredients and beautifully prepared foods. Everything you'll find here is as uncomplicated as possible, while still providing an experience worth the 1.5-hour drive from Portland.
If you're used to big-city living, Freedom and The Lost Kitchen will be a nice departure. In fact, the town still holds onto laws that don't allow for the serving of alcohol. To ensure you still have a wine-filled meal, you can purchase bottles from the shop downstairs to be opened for your meal. The crew manning the kitchen is hard working and the dedication comes through in each and every dish served.
Freedom is located about 17 miles inland from Belfast, in the mid-coast region of Maine. Call them for reservations: (207) 382-3333.
In addition to basically living our dream life, Erin has managed to pen what promises to be an incredible book of recipes! It comes out in May of 2017 and is available for pre-order by clicking here. And click here for The Lost Kitchen website. It’s full of personal writing as well as lovely photos.
Michelle has lived in many places, but counts Maine as one of the best. In addition to the smell of ocean water in the air on rainy days in Portland, she loves puppies, photography, funny people, the Maine Red Claws, traveling, fresh tomatoes, Cambodia and filling out forms. For questions, comments and inquiries please email: [email protected]
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